News Release Information

Contacts

Technical information:

Media contact:

PDF

Fatal Work Injuries in Alabama-2013

Fatal work injuries totaled 66 in 2013 for Alabama, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Janet S. Rankin noted that while the 2013 count was preliminary, the number of work-related fatalities in Alabama decreased by 18 over the year. Fatal occupational injuries in the state have ranged from a high of 155 in 1996 to this year’s low of 66. Over the last 5 years, the number of fatalities has remained below 100. (See chart 1.)

Nationwide, a preliminary total of 4,405 fatal work injuries was recorded in 2013, down from a final count of 4,628 fatal work injuries in 2012, according to results from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program. Final 2013 CFOI data will be released in spring 2015.

Of the 66 fatal work injuries reported in Alabama in 2013, 32 resulted from transportation incidents, followed by violence and other injuries by persons or animals (11); and falls, slips, or trips (10). Together these three major categories accounted for more than three-quarters of all fatal work injuries in the state. Other major event categories each reported less than 10 deaths. (See table 1.) Within transportation incidents, roadway incidents was the most frequent type of workplace fatality with 19 deaths, accounting for more than one-fourth of all on-the-job fatalities in the state. In the violence and other injuries by persons or animals, nine deaths occurred from intentional injury by a person. Falls to a lower level accounted for nine fatalities within the falls, slips, or trips category. (Note that transportation counts presented in this release are expected to rise when updated 2013 data are released in spring 2015 because key source documentation detailing specific transportation-related incidents has not yet been received.)

In the United States, transportation incidents was also the most frequent fatal workplace event in 2013, accounting for 40 percent of fatal work injuries. Alabama’s share of on-the-job fatalities due to this event was 48 percent. (See chart 2.) Violence and other injuries by persons or animals was the second most frequent type of event nationally with 17 percent of work-related fatalities; the share in Alabama was also 17 percent. Contact with objects or equipment and falls, slips, or trips each accounted for 16 percent of the nation’s workplace fatalities.

Additional key characteristics:

The trade, transportation, and utilities industry sector had the largest number of fatalities in the state with 20, down from 26 the previous year. (See table 2.) Transportation incidents accounted for 12 of the worker deaths. The construction industry had the second highest fatality count with 17.

Transportation and material moving occupations had the highest number of fatal work injuries with 23. (See table 3.) Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers accounted for 16 of these deaths. Workers in construction and extraction occupations had the next highest fatality count at 14.

Men accounted for 65, or 98 percent, of the work-related fatalities in the state. (See table 4.) Transportation incidents made up nearly half of these fatalities.

In Alabama, 71 percent of those who died from a workplace injury were white non-Hispanics. Nationwide, this group accounted for 68 percent of work-related deaths.

Workers 25-54 years old—the prime working age group—accounted for 43, or 65 percent, of the state’s work-related fatalities in 2013. Nationally, workers in this group accounted for 60 percent of on-the-job fatalities.

Of the 66 persons that suffered fatal work injuries in Alabama, 89 percent worked for wages and salaries; the remainder were self-employed. The most frequent fatal event for wage and salary workers was transportation incidents.

Technical Note

Background of the program. The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, part of the BLS occupational safety and health statistics program, compiles a count of all fatal work injuries occurring in the United States during the calendar year. The program uses diverse state, federal, and independent data sources to identify, verify, and describe fatal work injuries. This assures counts are as complete and accurate as possible.

Federal/State agency coverage. The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries includes data for all fatal work injuries, whether the decedent was working in a job covered by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) or other federal or state agencies or was outside the scope of regulatory coverage. Thus, any comparison between the BLS fatality census counts and those released by other agencies should take into account the different coverage requirements and definitions being used by each agency.

Acknowledgments. The Bureau of Labor Statistics appreciates the efforts of all federal, state, local, and private sector entities that submitted source documents used to identify fatal work injuries, in particular the Alabama Department of Labor.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200; Federal Relay Service: 800-877-8339.

Footnotes:(1) Based on the BLS Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (OIICS) 2.01 implemented for 2011 data forward.(2) Totals for 2012 are revised and final.(p) Data are preliminary. Revised and final 2013 data are scheduled to be released in spring 2015.

NOTE: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding. CFOI fatality counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event.

Footnotes:(1) Industry data are based on the North American Industry Classification System, 2007. Total may include other industries not shown.(2) Totals for 2012 are revised and final.(p) Data are preliminary. Revised and final 2013 data are scheduled to be released in spring 2015.(3) Includes fatal injuries at all establishments categorized as Mining (Sector 21) in the North American Industry Classification System, including establishments not governed by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) rules and reporting, such as those in Oil and Gas Extraction.(4) Includes fatal injuries to workers employed by governmental organizations regardless of industry.

NOTE: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria. CFOI fatality counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event.

Footnotes:(1) Occupation data are based on the Standard Occupational Classification system, 2010. Total may include occupations not shown.(2) Totals for 2012 are revised and final.(p) Data are preliminary. Revised and final 2013 data are scheduled to be released in spring 2015.

NOTE: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria. CFOI fatality counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event.

Footnotes:(1) Totals for 2012 are revised and final.(p) Data are preliminary. Revised and final 2013 data are scheduled to be released in spring 2015.(2) May include volunteers and workers receiving other types of compensation.(3) Includes self-employed workers, owners of unincorporated businesses and farms, paid and unpaid family workers, and may include some owners of incorporated businesses or members of partnerships.(4) Information may not be available for all age groups.(5) Persons identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. The race categories shown exclude Hispanic and Latino workers.

NOTE: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria. CFOI fatality counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event.